Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Wall footings of small medieval church dedicated to St. Mocheallog (Dowd 1896, 1) standing in N quadrant of rectangular shaped graveyard (LI047-019002-) visible on Digital Globe aerial photographs. Westropp (1904-5, 421) recorded the following details about Kilmallock Hill; 'St. Mocheallog's Church. Nic. Kerdiff has fled to the church of St. Myhallok at Kylmehalloc, 1318 (Plea R., 116., m. 35). "S. Mathologus, on the hill of Kilmallock", 1410. Fabric - The foundations of large blocks, but only a couple of feet high in 1840, and 3 inches [0.07m] thick, and measure 22½ feet [6.8m] by 12 feet 3 inches [3.7m]; they lie on a rising ground'.
In 1906 the following account was given on the church on Kilmallock Hill; 'The ruins of the church he founded are situated on a gently rising eminence, about one mile north-west of the present town of Kilmallock. There are only about two feet [0.6m] in height of the walls of the old church standing, and they are nearly covered with earth and grass. The length of the building, judging from what remains, would be 22½ feet [6.8m] long, and 12 feet 3 inches [3.7m] wide. The thickness of the walls would be about 3 feet [0.9m]. The few stones of the foundations that are visible are large, and no lime discernible between them. There is a graveyard (LI047-019002-) attached to the ruin, but it is now scarcely ever used. St. Mocheallog died sometime between the years 639 and 656. According to the Calendars his feast day falls on the 26th March' (Begley 1906, 94).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 25 June 2019

References

Dowd, J. 1896 Round about the County of Limerick. Limerick. G. McKern & Sons.

Westropp, T.J. 1904-5 A survey of the ancient churches of Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 25C, 327-479.

Begley, J. 1906 The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin.